Army of South Sudan allegedly attacked residents in Abyei

The South Sudan army is accused of attacking and killing 40 civilians in a disputed area called Abyei.

Sultaan Bulabek, the leader of the nine main areas in Abyei, told the media that soldiers and armed young people from Twic county in Warrap state did co-ordinated attacks in many villages.

He said that the attack was meant to force the Ngok community to leave their houses.

Someone who lives there told the media without giving their name that their cousin was killed in the attack. They also said they couldn’t get the body because there was a lot of heavy weapons.

Maj Gen Akuei Ajou, who leads the third division of the SSPDF, said that the force is there to keep people safe between Twic and Abyei and denied the accusations.

He said that young people from Abyei were responsible for the attack on a military base that killed seven soldiers and civilians, including children, on November 13th.

The embassies of Norway, the UK, and the US said that South Sudan should remove its soldiers from Abyei to stop the fighting from getting worse.

Abyei has been a problem between Sudan and South Sudan for a long time.

The UN Security Council decided to keep its peacekeepers in place for another year. The soldiers have been in Abyei since 2011.